"I have
fought the
good fight,
I have run
the good
race, I have
kept the
faith."
St. Paul in
2 Timothy

November 05,
2008 "Information
Clearinghouse"
--- This
past month,
I kept on
saying to my
supporters,
staff,
interns,
volunteers
and myself,
that no
matter what
happened on
November 4th
that we
could hold
our heads up
high and be
very proud
of our
campaign.
Until
yesterday, I
wasn't sure
that what I
said would
be true, but
I feel an
incredibly
sense of
peace and
pride in our
accomplishments.
There were
so many
victories
over the
last year
that the
American
paradigm of
"winner-take
all" just
doesn't fit.

We moved
into San
Francisco a
little over
a year ago
with less
than
nothing. We
used savings
and credit
cards to
open our
office and
sometimes to
keep it
open. We
transformed
a former
"sex shop"
to a fully
functioning
and vibrant
campaign
office. Our
"natural
base" never
materialized,
so we had to
build a
foundation
in less than
a few
months.

In August,
we
historically
gained
ballot
access as
only the 6th
independent
campaign in
California
history to
do so. Our
platform
based on
humane
economics
was in place
long before
the recent
collapses
and
resultant
bailouts.
Our labor
platform was
hailed all
over the
world, while
unions here
in SF
supported
the
corporate
"rescuer"
Nancy
Pelosi.

Cindy for
Congress
never once
sold out our
solid
principles
based
campaign and
would never
sell out the
voters of
San
Francisco
like Nancy
Pelosi has.
Nancy Pelosi
ran from my
campaign and
our demands
to debate me
and we
persevered
and did so
amazingly
well after a
near total
media black
out and
several
attempts at
political
intimidation.

We got to
the end of
this stage
with a
barrel full
of integrity
and a
boatload of
dedication
and love.
Dozens of
activists
came from
all over the
country to
be here to
help us
spread our
progressive,
peace based
message and
thousands
donated to
help keep
our campaign
afloat.

We have
moved right
through
November 4th
because this
is a
movement for
peace and
against
corporate
control of
our
political
system.
Movements
can't stop,
we must keep
moving.

The way we
do elections
in this
country must
be reformed
because
clearly the
campaigns
with the
most money
won all over
the country.
If we never
level the
playing
field to
allow the
people's
voice and
message to
be heard,
the tyranny
of
incumbency
and the
obscene
amount of
money spent
on these
circuses
will
continue and
true
progressive
change will
never
happen.

We will
still have
to fight the
establishment
with
everything
we have.
Yesterday,
at about
10am, we
were
traveling
around the
district and
receiving
huge amounts
of support
and were
dismayed to
see an
article from
the AP
saying that
Nancy Pelosi
had already
defeated me.
Our exit
polling
(from every
area in the
district)
showed me
receiving
between
35-60% of
the vote. We
were very
optimistic
that we
would do
much better
than we
ultimately
ended up
doing.

However,
Cindy for
Congress got
almost twice
as many
votes as
anyone who
has ever run
against
Pelosi since
she eked out
a primary
victory in
1987 over
Harry Britt,
who was also
the most
progressive
candidate.
We raised a
decent
amount of
money and
are honored
by the
support we
have gotten
from all
over this
nation.

This is not
the time to
give up and
give in to
the politics
of blinding
amounts of
money
shrouded in
"hope."

On November
5th, we
still have
millions of
people
sleeping on
our streets
and without
jobs and
health care.
We still
have our
troops mired
in two
unconscionable
wars that
Obama has
not promised
to end. Our
economy is
still on a
very
precarious
footing and
oil, the
lifeblood of
the elite,
is running
out. There
are many
people in
this world,
and yes,
this country
that are
food
insecure and
the next
resource
wars may be
over water.

Despite all
this, I
slept like a
baby last
night for
the first
time in
months. I
feel like a
new person
today and am
holding my
head up
high. Last
year, I
dedicated my
campaign to
my son,
Casey, and
his comrades
who have
tragically
fallen and
the people
of Iraq and
Afghanistan
that our
government
have
devastated.
We need to
continue to
make their
deaths count
for
something
noble. I
dedicate the
next steps
to them,
also.

There are
still many
"fights" and
"races"
ahead. Take
a few days
to
celebrate,
mourn,
reflect and
then jump
back in with
both feet
into the
struggle for
peace and
justice.

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